Saturday afternoon footy at the G is a delightful Melbourne experience. A bit of sunshine, a cold (if overpriced) drink in hand, and you get to watch a contest of our national sport. Who could disagree, right? Well, it seems plenty did, considering the paucity of supporters that turned up to the match, which speaks to the pessimism running through the Demons faithful at the moment, and it’s not even ski season yet.
Both teams had streaks to break, with the Demons yet to open their account for 2025, and Gold Coast looking to break their MCG hoodoo, which they did nicely, dismantling the Demons 18.12 (120) to 8.14 (62). It wasn’t just a win—it was a statement. For a team long criticised for its inability to perform in Melbourne, the Suns flipped the script with a victory built on pressure, efficiency, and a midfield masterclass.
Last time they met
The last match between these two was at the Suns’ home ground, Round 23, 2024. Gold Coast came out strong, but Melbourne ground them down into a comfortable nine-goal win by making the most of their chances. They only had five more inside 50s than Gold Coast, but excellent games from young forwards Daniel Turner (four goals) and Jacob Van Rooyen (three goals) gave them the win.
Ins and outs
Gold Coast kept it to a manageable three, as Charlie Ballard, Ben Ainsworth and Alex Sexton made way for some bigger bodies of Mac Andrew, Sam Flanders and Jed Walter. While Walter didn’t have a massive impact on the game, the Suns forward line is far more potent with him in there as a target. Just pulling a defender out of the drop zone helped Max King find space, though Jed would want to shake of any rust as soon as he can and hit the scoreboard a bit, too.
For Melbourne, the office staff organising player gear arrangements must have been pulling some overtime, as the team lists saw more changes than a chameleon on a disco floor. Matthew Jefferson, Charlie Spargo, Taj Woewodin, Daniel Turner and Jake Lever all took the afternoon off, while Steven May, Jack Billings, Aidan Johnson, Harvey Langford, and Jake Melksham came in. In hindsight, it might be said that five changes unsettled the side, but from the outer it looked like far too many were leaving the job to far too few, far too often.
First Quarter – The Warning Signs Begin
The match began with Melbourne controlling the opening clearances, but they failed to capitalise on early opportunities inside 50. Henderson marked nicely just inside the arc, but rushed himself and sprayed it out on the full rather than giving his team a chance to score.
This kind of set the tone for the Dees.
Lady Luck can be a fickle mistress, and she slapped the Dees upside the head like they owed her money in the opening minutes. Max Gawn missing a gettable goal was one thing, but losing young gun Xavier Lindsay to a suspected ACL (though scans later showed it was inflamed, but intact, so it won’t be a long stint on the sidelines) really hurt. Lindsay has been a highlight in the opening two matches, and Melbourne would miss his creativity around the ball.
It took just minutes for Gold Coast to expose the Demons’ defensive fragility, with Will Graham marking strongly right in front of Steven May, who gave him a little memento of the moment by sitting him down. There were a few jeers from the GC supporters who had made the trip, but if we’re being honest, that sort of assholery is what we want from our key backmen. The life of the defender is a tough one; you get pinged for things that forwards get away with on the regular, so it takes a certain mentality to make a career out as a KPD. You have to be a bit of a villain a times.
Few seem to enjoy it as much as May does, though.
What I did like about this was that immediately, Witts and King came up to May and let him know that this wasn’t the Gold Coast of old. They would (and did) protect their young teammates. This is exactly what the Suns need to do. It’s one thing to get young talent in (and GC have had some amazing talent in their squad for many years now), but for that talent to shine, they need to give them a few years to get used to AFL footy without being rag-dolled and manhandled every time they’re near the ball. They weren’t silly about it, but they showed that they won’t let anyone take liberties with their younger blokes either, and that’s as positive a sign as one could hope for.
Oh yeah, Graham slotted the goal too.
Suddenly, GC looked full of run and hunger, while Melbourne just looked like they were playing with an oiled football.
By quarter-time, the Suns had built a 19-point lead, and Melbourne looked shaky.
Second Quarter – Suns Turn Up the Heat
The second term saw the Suns flex their muscles. Gold Coast’s pressure game was suffocating, forcing Melbourne into rushed disposals and uncharacteristic turnovers. Matt Rowell was everywhere, gathering contested possessions and laying crunching tackles.
A pivotal moment came when Noah Anderson intercepted an errant Melbourne handball, streamed forward to nail a long-range goal.
Melbourne tried to respond, and managed to get the ball forward and lock it in there, but they had all the polish of a Pick-a-Part scrapyard. Fumbles, missed tackles, and a forward line that lacked synergy. Even when Max Gawn pushed forward and took a towering mark, he sprayed his shot wide. At halftime, the Suns had kept their lead, and the Demons looked lost.
Third Quarter – The Knockout Blow
Any hope of a Melbourne resurgence evaporated within minutes of the third term. The Suns stormed out of the blocks, with Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell linking up beautifully to carve through Melbourne’s midfield. John Noble was providing an excellent run off half back as well, giving the Suns value in transition.
The mood of the Melbourne faithful in attendance wasn’t helped by a goal late in the quarter to Will Graham, with many calling it a kick after the siren. The umps weren’t having it though, and by the final change, the margin had ballooned to 34 points.
Final Quarter – Suns Put the Cherry on Top
With the game well and truly over, the Suns continued to apply the pressure. Ben King notched his fourth, and while the Demons managed to land a few blows—Harvey Langford’s first AFL goal gave fans something to cheer about—Gold Coast answered every challenge.
Melbourne’s night was summed up when Bayley Fritsch, normally reliable in front of goal, shanked an easy shot late in the game. The final siren sounded, sealing a famous Gold Coast victory and leaving the Demons in crisis.
The Ruck Battle
I don’t want to take anything away from Max Gawn. He’s been THE ruck of his generation, and likely the first name on the board when the All-Australian selectors met for the five of the last seven years.
But… that isn’t the case based on current form.
Yes, he’s got off-field distractions (probably not helped by Goodwin drawing attention to them in last week’s post-match).
Yes, he’s probably got a bit of soreness after a bruising encounter with Xerri last week.
Yes, he had to swing forward at times to give his side a marking target.
And yet… his game was just so-so. Gawn was strong in the hit outs, but struggled to give his mids first use in space. For anyone else, you could possibly blame the midfield for struggling to find their lanes, but Petracca, Oliver and Viney are all exceptional players, and together with Gawn they should (on paper at least) be able to take on any midfield in the league.
Witts was exceptionally smart in the way he rucked. Often he had the second hand to the ball, but used that to spoil Gawn’s taps, and when Witts was first to touch the pill, Gold Coast’s midfielders worked beautifully off Witts’ taps, particularly Rowell and Flanders, preventing Melbourne from dominating clearance play.
I’m calling this a win for Witts. I know plenty of people (myself included) have crowned Tristian Xerri as the heir-apparent to the All-Australian ruck crown, but Witts did his chances of a jacket no harm at all here.
Rowell vs. Melbourne’s Midfield – One-Man Wrecking Crew
Matt Rowell’s performance will be replayed in Gold Coast highlight reels for years. He gathered 36 disposals (19 contested), 13 clearances, and laid seven bone-crunching tackles. Watching from the ground, I couldn’t see a single one of his tackles that didn’t stick. Time and again we see modern players hand-tackling and getting sat on their arse in the attempt, but Rowell wrapped up his opponents every time, and gave a lesson on tackling with intent to an opposition midfield that usually excels in that area.
By contrast, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca struggled to break through the Suns’ defensive setup, often forced into hurried kicks rather than clean, damaging possessions.
I’m giving Melbourne their flowers here, but only to illustrate just how definitive it is for a Rowell-led Suns midfield to completely dominate their opponents. It was a smashing, and their midfield coach Shain Grigg should be pretty damn pleased with himself this week.
Ben King vs. Melbourne’s Defence – A Mismatch
With Jake Lever absent, Melbourne’s defensive structure was a mess. Ben King took full advantage, slotting four goals and providing a constant target. Adam Tomlinson and Steven May tried to contain him, but without adequate midfield pressure, the Suns delivered the ball inside 50 with ease.
The Stats that Sting
- Gold Coast’s third win at the MCG since 2014. Given they only play the venue once this season, you can’t make too much of that.
- This loss puts the Demons at a 0-3 start. It’s not time to panic, but it is time to have some hard truths.
- Gold Coast won the clearances 40-24 (16-8 from the centre). That should not happen against a midfield of Melbourne’s calibre.
- Gold Coast also had more marks inside 50 (17-9) and tackles inside 50 (12-4), showing the difference in desperation from the two forward lines.
- A positive for the Dees; Harvey Langford had 26 touches, six clearances and a goal in his second game. He’s one of the few that can hold his head high at the Monday review.
- Forward line efficiency. If you’re struggling to get the ball forward, it gets even worse when the forward line is wasteful with it. Kicking 8.14 is bad enough, but what makes it worse is that so many were gettable, and there were several others that were out on the full. The goal post took a hammering too, but as they say, bad goal kicking is bad footy.
Is This the New Dawn for the Suns?
The Demons might be struggling, but this performance suggests the Suns are looking to challenge for a top-eight spot. Their midfield is humming along, their forward line is functioning well, and their pressure game is up there with the best right now. Consistency has always been their Achilles’ heel, but if they maintain this level, they’re finals-bound.
Losses Bring Pressure
An 0-3 start is disastrous for a club with premiership aspirations. They’re struggling in transition, their forward line is malfunctioning, and their defensive injuries are taking a toll. They need a response—fast. Next week’s clash against Geelong is shaping up as a must-win to avoid a freefall.
Melbourne’s slide since their 2021 premiership is becoming harder to ignore, and questions are now being asked about Simon Goodwin’s ability to turn things around. While injuries have played a role, their lack of adaptability and poor ball movement in 2025 suggest deeper issues. If the Demons don’t find a way to respond soon, Goodwin could be feeling the heat from both the media and the club’s hierarchy.
For Gold Coast, this win could be the defining moment of their season. For Melbourne, it’s back to the drawing board.
Next up
Melbourne has the unenviable task of trying to resurrect their season with a trip down the road to the cattery after a six-day break.
While Geelong have lost a little of their intimidation factor, they’re still a solid side that will test even the best in the league—and Melbourne are far from their own best, let alone in the whole comp.
On current form, I can’t tip Melbourne. I can’t even tip them to get near them unless they have a massive response, and they’d better, or else their season will be over before it’s really begun.
Geelong by 45 points.
Gold Coast won’t have it easy either, hosting an undefeated Adelaide side that boasts a potent forward line that is just humming along nicely. We could have a shoot out in this one, and with the home advantage Gold Coast are right in this, but for my money I think Adelaide is just a little too clean and a little too well-drilled.
Adelaide by 9 points.
